Perspective is everything.  It can make or break any situation.  It clouds or fuels our attitude and outlook on life and situations.  As I sat in a meeting at work, I thought about how much more can you pour into this wineskin?  I initially took the low road and wanted to start whining and complaining but I had an aha moment.  My moment of clarity and inspiration came from a quote I read years ago.

A man came upon a construction site where three people were working.  He asked the first, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am laying bricks.” He asked the second, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am building a wall.” As he approached the third, he heard him humming a tune as he worked, and asked, “What are you doing?” The man stood, looked up at the sky, and smiled, “I am building a cathedral!

I thought it was cool and understood it but was not impacted by it, until now.  My message to you is no matter what the beginning or in between time looks like, you can tell yourself to remember the bigger picture.  I’m not saying stick with something you know is not for you.  I am however offering that if you know you were meant to do a certain thing, don’t quit when the going gets tough.  The new skills acquired, the extra hours put in, even the failure and much more can be a catalyst to greatness…towards your cathedral.

There ain’t enough chamomile in the world to help me relax lol.  I’m still recovering from this past week.  It was filled with report card grading, general classroom tasks and teaching.  I was thrilled to work half-day on Friday.  I should have relaxed but instead I went around doing other errands that were pushed back due to some additional things that came up.  I also am editing a book I am writing.  I am ready for the much needed vacation/sabbatical that awaits next month.  It will feel good to unplug for a few days and rest my body.  How do you relax?

photo source:

https://pixabay.com/en/herbal-tea-teabags-beverage-647535/

photo source: 

https://pixabay.com/en/breakfast-healthy-colorful-hummus-1804457/

Ok, so how did the 7 day vegan challenge go?  Let me hear from you.  Meanwhile I just wanted to check in to say I have been eating a little oil periodically and also had a cupcake on Valentine’s day.  I do not miss the sugar but do miss the oil.  There is something about sauteing veggies in oil that bring out more flavor.  I do intend to stay mostly oil-free and must get exercise in on the weekends since that is where I have more time for self-care.  I came across this video and wanted to share.  It supports a vegan lifestyle for African-Americans particularly.  Thank you for reading and watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN4BhesG8XQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN4BhesG8XQ

Good news!  I’ve lost twelve pounds and two inches from my waist.  I’m happy with the result and excited to continue.  I’ve also signed up for Beachbody through the challenge to help shed some more of the unhealthy weight from a sedentary lifestyle and mediocre eating habits.

Check out my food porn iff you need some inspiration to get started.  These are some more meals I prepared. I did not post that pasta soup that I thought would be like a Vietnamese Pho but the end result was an super thick sauce over pasta.  The flavor was decent but the look was totally different than what I envisioned.  Getting delicious meals that look appealing too is trial and error.  I blame that pasta on being brown rice pasta lol. Oil-free cooking ain’t no joke, forced me to get mad creative.  If I am able to master African vegan meals oil-free then I will definitely be a cuisine boss for real!

I’ll keep you updated on my progress on a monthly basis.  Thanks for following me on the challenge to a healthier me.

Alright so week three, I am losing weight and feeling awesome.  I got a little bored with the meals I was cooking when I didn’t want anymore beans or simple vegetable dishes but vowed that I would keep up with this lifestyle.  It’s been rewarding so far.  Also I am discovering how alert and attuned I am to eating and meal preparations.  All in all I am having fun deciding what to cook next.  I am also deciding when will I carve out time to exercise regularly.

This is a breakfast tortilla I made this morning.

You may have wondered what have I been eating.  I’ve been eating fruit, rolled oats, hearty soups, bean stews, rice and beans, veggies on sprouted grains tortillas and green smoothies to say the least.

I challenge you to go vegan for seven days and tell me about your experiences.

Time is flying on the challenge.  I thought it would go by slow and have me craving fatty and sweet snacks but I am pleasantly surprised that it went rather smoothly until today.  Today I wanted something sweet after dinner and fruit was not it lol.  I decided that a vegan cookie with no sugar or oil would stomp out my craving so I head over to Whole Foods store.  To my disappointment, they had cookies galore but one or the other or both added.  It didn’t matter if is was prepackaged or in the freshly baked section.  I left the store with a few green teas drinks sweetened with stevia and let’s just say, that was not what I had in mind.  Which brings me to my next point.

Making a sugar and oil free cookie could be simple if only I had the food processor and shredded carrots, dates or raisins and more walnuts.  Add to the mix some oats and I would have had a nice treat using only whole food ingredients. Oh well, if this is going to be a lifestyle I will get better at it as time goes on.

I do not have a scale (yet) but people are noticing that I have slimmed down in my face.  I can’t wait until the slimming effect flows down to the rest of my body.  I’m excited about the change.  I recently got new glasses too, so I’m looking rather chic I might add 🙂

One side effect I noticed is that I got an outbreak of micro sized bumps/rash on my inner thighs and front thigh.  It dried up in two days to tiny rough patches.  And the bag of Fritos that I shouldn’t have eaten at the staff luncheon, showed up in a large pimple on my chin.  Not cute at all.

photo source: https://pixabay.com/en/salad-lenses-vegetables-vegetarian-1804441/

All in all, I am having fun on the journey, feeling happier and more energetic.  Still don’t know if I could do raw vegan at this point.  If or when I do, I will make sure I am armed with a food processor or Ninja bullet where I can make dressings for salads and also get carrots and other plant foods to the consistency for a variety of recipes.

Until next week, bon appetit!

Week one of a healthier me by way of a vegan challenge…check!  What is vegan eating?  Simply eating a plant based diet.  The challenge is ramped up though because it also consists of no oil, no sugar and no wheat flour.  My biggest weakness has always been french fries but more on that later.

photo source: https://pixabay.com/en/farmers-market-fresh-vegetable-ripe-1329008/

It was not difficult to cook tasty and filling meals but getting the daily nutrition requirements according to numbers on Cronometer was challenging.  I surely would need to eat a lot of green vegetables to meet my quota.  I can say that I managed week one with starches such as brown rice and beans.  Towards the end of the week I increased my green veggies and was only lacking because I needed to make a grocery run.

I love, can I say LOVE again lol, french fries.  I can eat them morning, noon and night as a quick go to food. This of course with a savory African stew with rice is a second best. The struggle is real ok!  I want those fries.  But instead of giving in, I am more determined to finish strong.  So no fries.  Or at least the crispy, oil laden ones.  I will find a way to make a crispy potatoe with no oil.

I am having so much fun finding recipes for oil-less cooking.  I have followed a vegetarian eating plan in the past and did it for nearly three years. I reverted back to meat eating out of convenience and my then children who were eating hamburgers while out and coming home to tell me about it.

Now that I have become determined and committed to a healthier me, it’s time to shed a few pounds and feel better. So the desire to participate in the vegan challenge was born. I had no idea the beautiful thing people are doing with fruits and veggies nowadays. There are so many nutritious recipes that are reminiscent of food we already may be eating but prepared without the meat.  Cooked vegetarian meals or completely uncooked.  Who knew that entire meals can be prepared with no time on the stove.  I’m not there yet, but who knows.  Maybe that will be a goal in the near future.

When the challenge is over, I don’t know if I will maintain the oil-less cooking but so far I am not missing the oil although it does add a nice flavor and consistency to the meal.

I hope you will try out vegan recipes for yourself.  Here’s to a new you.  Cheers!

photo source: https://pixabay.com/en/chain-broken-link-freedom-297842/

Ok so I am part of a coaching challenge for 30 days.  The first two phrases the founder of the challenge told participants is “give yourself permission to be a beginner” and ” give yourself permission to ask questions”.  The following day I heard this same phrase from a teacher mentor and then that following evening I heard it again.  I was like ” ok God, I am listening and will obey”.

I am a wounded healer, essentially a work in progress.  On the fifth day of the challenge I discovered that I had been wounded from being shamed in my childhood by some girls my age which caused me shame, fear, etc.  This fear has permeated every area of my life. I’m talking health, wealth, spiritual life, business, etc. But I had no idea this is where my fear had its roots.  Until yesterday.

Now I understand my reactions or responses to fear when it shows up.  I also understand how to process it and give myself permission to be ok with not being “perfect” but giving my best effort.  If it’s seventy percent so be it. Will I hit my target every time? No and it’s all good.  It’s an effort towards progress.  Progress, steady motion, is what I am striving for, not perfection.  So just for today, I employ  you with the question; what are you giving yourself permission to do or be ok with? Get free!